A Goddess Among Men
by SharpAngels
Summary: A quiet enveloped the city after Battle City. Every one relaxes. But during a make-shift duel, a peculiar girl arrives with even stranger motives. She challenges the King of Games to a duel when Card Snatchers arrive and reveal a secret she didn't know.


**A/N**

Ahehehe, hello again. Pretty sure what few readers I have think I'm dead or something... Sorry! Honestly, highschool sucks. So sorry about the nonexistant updates.

Umm, yeah, I got stuck on my other fanfic, Without Snakes. So I don't know if it'll be updated anytime soon...

OHMIGAWD DON'T KILL ME!

Anyways... this fanfic's probably gonna seem super cliche the first couple chapters, but stick with it, it's gonna take a dramatic turn... :D

And yea. I have MORE THAN TWO CHAPTERS FOR THIS. But it won't be up for a little bit since I have a crappy time limit on my computer... D:

Well, have fun!

I DON'T OWN A GODDAMN THING. EXCEPT THE OC. I OWN THAT ONE.

* * *

><p><em>Egypt was much different than he expected. When Atem pulled on a bleak cloak and snuck out of the enormous palace reserve specifically for the Pharaoh and his helpers, he knew enough to not expect luxurious streets and guards flanking him for every step, but the Pharaoh, the king himself, was being pushed around like a mere commoner on the bustling streets. People rushed to their destinations carrying various harvest items or rough cloths to trade. Children ran around the legs of amused or annoyed adults, laughing and smiling, playing some sort of made up game only they could understand.<em>

_Atem was overwhelmed. So many people, none of which were bowing in his presence; it was a rather nice change, not having to keep up appearances, but it was a big change. His head spun from the activity and the liveliness that was certainly never found in the palace—or allowed for that matter._

_"Need a hand?"_

_Atem spun around to see a person donning a cloak, much like himself. Only half of their face was visible from the shadow projected onto the tanned visage, but kind, feminine and smiling lips assured him of what eyes could not._

_He hesitated._

_"I won't bite." The woman held out her hand, grin widening._

_Cautiously, Atem reached for her hand. Inhibitions threatened to hold him back, but there was something about this woman that made him trust her. He had to._

* * *

><p>Chapter One: A New Foe<p>

"Yugi! Stop winning!" His whiney, complaining friend clamored, dropping his hand onto the make-shift duel arena. Meaning two desks pushed together. This was Joey Wheeler, a blonde kid with a very heavy Brooklyn accent and a loyalty to his friends unparalleled.

"I'm sorry, Joey. But you've gotten better!" Yugi laughed nervously, trying to console his sulking friend. It was true—after not only Duelist Kingdom but Battle City Joey has improved tenfold, but he was still no match for the King of Games.

"Stop trying to make the baby feel better." Tristan goaded Joey with a teasing smirk, placing a hand on Joey's head and laughing.

"What did you say?"

"Guys! Shh! The teacher has an announcement." Tea hissed at the guys, pointing to the decrepit teacher with the audacity to stand before the class during their lunch. All the student's faces turned sour; it was their time to relax, but this teacher decided it was a fabulous idea to interrupt that.

"Class, we have a new student." The irritation hanging oppressively in the room lifted rather suddenly when a tall, wiry girl stepped into the room shyly, odd crimson eyes flicking around the paused room. Her hair was a peculiar white, as white as snow, falling with grace to her waist. She had already received the female uniform; the light pink looked a little strange in contrast to her startling red eyes and bizarre white hair, throw in blue and it was a hectic look.

The guys in the class—Yugi, Joey and Tristan not excluded—couldn't tear their eyes from her. She just exuded a mystery that compelled each and every one of them to draw closer…

"Guys." Tea snapped, glaring with sneaking suspicion at the testosterone-run males she purposely endured. "Do you want to continue zoning out, or do you want to hear her name?"

It was true; this girl was about to utter her name, but they had no idea it would really be important.

"My name is Sophias." The girl muttered quietly, eyes still darting anxiously around the bated room.

Something in Yugi stirred—he recognized it as one of Pharaoh's feelings, but it was so strong and so over powering, Yugi couldn't help but reach a hand to the Millennium Puzzle, small hands gripping the cold metal like if he let go, some unnamable force would be brutally unleashed.

_Pharaoh? _He asked internally, searching the depths of his mind for the remnants of their connection.

_I'm sorry. I think I know her._ The Pharaoh sounded scared; that horrified Yugi. The Pharaoh was the rock everyone could depend on to be calm, rational. But now, he sounded as terrified as if he were facing a one thousand-man army with only the clothes off his back for armor and a twig for a weapon.

_How? This is the modern world. She may not be the same person._ Yugi replied tentatively—he didn't know how to placate the Pharaoh at all. It was too much of an oddity for Yugi to have any breadth of knowledge in this field, but he took a stab at it anyway, fearing he may be doing more harm than good.

There was a long silence; long enough in fact for Sophias to quietly make her way towards Yugi and Co., taking her seat silently next to Yugi.

_You may be right._ The Pharaoh finally said, his voice still shaken and worried. _But I don't… remember how I know her, so I can't be sure at all._

Yugi didn't know what to say. He didn't have enough time to say anything, though. In her rounds of anxiously and quite obviously habitually glancing around the room, Sophias' eyes came to rest on the scattered cards on their makeshift duelist arena, the crimson widening in shock and wonder.

"You duel?" She whispered conspiratorially, staring straight at Yugi with unwavering eyes for the first time since she stepped in the room. Sophias seemed genuinely surprised—and apparently unaware that the King of Games sat a mere arm's length from her.

"Yeah!" Joey grinned, taking the time to make an impression on the new girl. "I got second in Duelist Kingdom! Ever hear of Joey Wheeler?"

There was a long silence as her eyes looked first at the puffed up ego sitting across Yugi then at the finished game sitting on the desk for all to see. "You lost didn't you?"

Joey's deflation was obvious—Sophias had pressed the sulk button that was for sure.

"So that means you're the true winner." She returned her gaze to Yugi who squirmed uncomfortably under the eyes the Pharaoh had found so familiar. The glance was filled with a wisdom he couldn't understand or stare into. He dropped his eyes.

Yugi knew it wasn't that big of a deal—there was too much on the line to _not_ win. He had to save his grandfather from the Shadow Realm at Duelist Kingdom, where Maximillion Pegasus had cruelly held his soul hostage in a plot to attain another of the Millennium Items, along with his Millennium Eye.

Battle City had much higher stakes. The whole world was at stake from an incredible evil. Marik Itshtar.

So it wasn't entirely skill that lifted Yugi above others, it was a combination of duty and the Pharaoh that brought him victory. "Kinda…" Was all he could say.

"Kinda? He took down all the enemies in his path!" Tristan slung his arm around the pensive boy's shoulders, grinning with pride. "No one can beat our man Yugi."

Sophias grew quiet. "I suppose we shall duel someday, Yugi."

"You're gonna have to beat me first!" Joey grinned, trying to sneakily slide his cards into a pile.

"Fine. I suppose, to the second place winner, I do owe a duel before I take on the Champion." She mused quietly, reaching to fish something out of her bag.

Everyone's surprise was written on their face when she pulled out a gleaming, silver Duel Disk from her bag and strapped it on with ease, sliding a deck into the holder.

"Well, Joey Wheeler, second place at Duelist Kingdom, I challenge you to a duel."


End file.
